Arthritis Care
Arthritis Care
and Management
At times, the pain of arthritis can seem unbearable. Don’t let your arthritis slow you down or decrease your quality of life. Our expert providers will give you quality and compassionate management and treatment of your arthritis.
Our staff are dedicated to your health and well-being and providing you with expert arthritis care and management.
Our professional staff in Montgomery are experts in arthritis care and management. A productive life doesn’t have to stop when the pain of arthritis strikes. Our highly-skilled and caring physicians help our patients cope with the sometimes debilitating discomfort of the disease and provide medical solutions to help ease the pain. You don’t have to live with the pain of arthritis anymore.
Arthritis can be an awfully severe issue, significantly reducing the quality of one’s life. We make a firm commitment to offer not only immediate solutions designed to diminish the pain; we also offer long term treatment protocols designed to do more than just provide immediate comfort or relief.
Arthritis
Arthritis is a general term used to describe over 100 types of joint inflammation resulting in pain, discomfort and stiffness. These types of arthritis tend to develop in frequency and severity as one ages. An estimated 350 million individuals around the world–including close to 40 million people in the U.S. alone–suffer from arthritis, making it one of the most common medical conditions anywhere. Although there is no cure for arthritis, it can be managed with a combination of medications, therapies and through self-management techniques like diet and exercise.
Arthritis
As previously noted, arthritis can range in frequency (occasional to chronic) and severity (mild to severe). In addition, each type of arthritis comes with its own underlying issues and related conditions. With that said, here are several key symptoms used to identify arthritis:
- Pain and/or stiffness in one or more of the following areas: joints, muscles, fingers, hands, wrists, ankles, neck or back
- Intermittent or sharp pains in joints, even while sitting or resting
- Fatigue and/or discomfort either throughout whole body or localized in particular areas
- Swelling and/or redness in one or more affected joints
- Compromised physical state, decreased range of motion and muscular function
- Unusual growths or bumps, particularly on hands, fingers, feet and toes
Arthritis Types
There may be over 100 different kinds of arthritis, but most can be categorized under these three common types:
1. Osteoarthritis
Also known as degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis refers to the wear and tear on the joints over time. Of the three arthritis types, osteoarthritis is the most common. The knees, hips, feet and spine are the areas of the body that are typically affected by osteoarthritis. Factors such as age, body weight or pre-existing joint injury can create and/or exacerbate the stress placed on the body. Osteoarthritis results when cartilage (the protective tissue that surrounds the ends of bones) wears down, leaving little to cushion the joints or prevent joint bones from rubbing against one another.
2. Rheumatoid arthritis
Also referred to by the acronym RA, rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes the body’s immune system to attack healthy cells. This disease typically manifests itself in joint pain and inflammation in hands and feet. In some cases, RA can also cause small lumps over the joints called rheumatoid nodules. Rheumatoid arthritis primarily affects joint linings, which can lead to painful swelling, fatigue and weight loss, as well as joint deformity and bone erosion in more extreme instances. In the worst case scenario, the disease can also spread to internal organs such as the heart, lungs and eyes.
3. Psoriatic arthritis
This type of arthritis is associated with patients with psoriasis, a condition that causes inflammation of the skin and the formation of dry, scaly patches. These patches can usually be found on particular parts of the body like the tips of elbows and knees, the scalp, the navel and skin around the private parts. As with other forms of arthritis, the primary symptoms of psoriatic arthritis are joint pain, stiffness or swelling; with this particular form of arthritis, however, the joint pain may be localized to a few specific joints and, in some instances, cause discoloration of fingernails or toenails.
While arthritis can cause pain and inconvenience for the sufferer, there are ways to prevent it from impacting your daily life. Treatment options include regular physical activity balanced with rest, using hot and cold therapies such as saunas and pools, and strengthening the muscles around the affected joint for increased support.
If you believe you may have an arthritic condition, ask your doctor to perform a medical diagnosis. A trained medical professional should be able to give you the pharmaceutical aids and lifestyle changes you will need to live with arthritis for many years to come.
The trained physicians and nurses at Live Clinic can help determine which form of arthritis you may have and the best ways to treat it. Call or email to schedule your appointment today!
